Carnaval

Just a quick note to tell you I have survived my second carnaval - granted a digital camera worse off. That's right. I got robbed again (3 times in 15 months). So, not only do I have to squint to watch tv (glasses stolen in peru incident Jan 2002) but there will not likely be many pictures sent from your faithful correspondent unless i can scrape together some money for a replacement and find some sucker to bring it to me.

Carnaval was a blast nonetheless. We started our festivities early Saturday morning (530am), as a good friend danced frantically to the Trainspotting Album. Limbs flailing she took out our glass coffee table and all signs pointed to impending bad luck. But we proceeded to Oruru (the capital of carnaval in bolivia) nonetheless.

Making my way through the crowds to our seats along the parade rout some expert managed to open up my left breast pocket and remove my camera without me noticing. I comforted myself by hurling water balloons at high school kids and spraying espuma on the less then helpful cops - especially Officer Sandy.

As a side note - Officer Sandy was the a hole that popped about 50 of our water balloons by spraying them with acid and saying "prohibido, prohibido, prohibido." In a back drop of hundreds of balloons flying through the air - riiiiiiight.

(insert imaginary colorful digital fotos here)

I remain convinced there is nothing more fun for "grown men (and women)" to do then hurl water balloons at each other in a state of mild to mas fuerte inebriation.



THE SALAR ARTICLE RAN TODAY - SO HERE IT IS IF YOU ARE INTERESTED: (this was the thanksgiving trip - Pedro was the turkey)

The post story on the Salar has run today. It's not very good, frankly, and they really dumbed it down (note: the "kicker" with which a story is supposed to end: "Ahhhhh." And calling vicunas "a type of llama.") And they condensed all the action points to next to nothing. And lastly, no Pedro.

But there it is. They didn't use any of our photos, opting instead for one of those glassy numbers from some agency.

http://specialsections.nypost.com/news/nypost/travel/20030304/p40.asp